To attorneys who refuse to change their underwear

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We know that attorneys resist change and we know why. Change implies risk and risk avoidance is in our DNA. We’re paid to watch our clients’ backs and it’s only natural that we do the same for ourselves.

Yes, change implies risk. If you change your strategy, tools, or process, you might get poorer results. You might waste time or money. You might embarrass yourself or your firm. So we often wait until other attorneys do it first. (Is it any wonder that the average attorney gets average results and earns an average income?)

Anyway, for most attorneys, change usually happens slowly, if at all.

But change can be good. It can lead to better results, especially if you’re the first lawyer on your block to do something. Change also allows you to learn new things and meet new people and open up opportunities for growth.

Change can also feel good. I get a rush every time I buy a new computer, don’t you?

Attorneys are smart and have the resources to accommodate change. They can afford to buy new tech and try new ideas, they can afford to hire people to do most of the heavy lifting, and they can afford to lose their investment should things not pan out.

For many attorneys, accepting change comes down to ROI. They know it takes time to learn and implement new ideas and in return, they demand a big return on that investment. Not just an incremental increase but a huge increase, to compensate for their time and the risks of being wrong.

Nowhere is the potential for a huge ROI more apparent than with marketing.

One new strategy, one new referral source, one new keyword can lead to a massive increase in traffic, leads, prospects, and new clients. On top of that, the potential downside is de minimis.

So take off your training wheels, remove your protective padding, leave your first aid kit at home, and dive in. Do something you’ve never done before. Or change something you’ve never changed before.

Worst case, you’ll find something that doesn’t work for you.

But if things go well, you might find, as I did when I fully embraced marketing, a measure of success beyond anything previously imagined.

Marketing is easier when you know the formula

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